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ASTROSAT

Indian observatory

ASTROSAT preparing for launch: black holes

ISROASTROSAT preparing for launch: black holesISRO

India’s first space observatory dedicated to astrophysical research, ASTROSAT, was successfully launched on September 28, 2015, from the Sriharikota space port in the Bay of Bengal. The satellite, which weighs just over 1.5 metric tons, is equipped with two telescopes that can analyze different forms of electromagnetic radiation: visible light, ultraviolet light, and high- and low-energy X-rays. The goal is to scan regions of the Universe where stars are born and especially to study black holes and neutron stars, which are among the densest objects in the Cosmos. According to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)—the agency responsible for building and launching ASTROSAT—the information that is gathered by the satellite while it is in orbit more than 650 kilometers above Earth will be sent to the Indian Space Science Data Center (ISSDC) in Bangalore. The data will then be redistributed to four other research centers in India. “ASTROSAT opens a new chapter in Indian space astronomy,” said Swarna Kanti Ghosh, director of India’s National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and project collaborator, speaking to the magazine Nature.

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